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Tranquil
The Tranquil were mages who went through the Rite of Tranquility. The Rite cuts off the connection to the Fade: the Tranquil can no longer dream. As a side effect, their emotional center is utterly removed. It was believed that demons cannot possess the Tranquil. This was subsequently proven to be wrong. Performing the Rite It would be the judgment of the Knight-Commander whether a mage needed to be made Tranquil.Gaider, David. "Your Random Dragon Age Question?". Bioware Social Network. Retrieved March 24, 2012. The Chantry law forbids performing the Rite of Tranquility without significant provocation and the agreement of the First Enchanter. Provocation in this case means that the mage either cannot control their magic or has shown no signs of a willingness to do so.Gaider, David. "Anyone else notice the retcon of the tranquil?". BioWare Social Network. Retrieved March 24, 2012. Since a mage who has passed the Harrowing is deemed to be strong enough of will to resist demonic possession, making them Tranquil would generally be against the rules. How well this works in practice varies from tower to tower: the system will fall out of balance anywhere where the First Enchanter is either weak or ignored, resulting in the Rite being used as a punishment or a control over unruly mages. The Rite of Tranquility is claimed to be an act of kindness. Many of those who go through the Rite have never even shown the desire to be mages in the first place, and once made Tranquil, they are believed to be immune to the mortal dangers they would have to face otherwise. While some mages are forced to undergo the Rite, some volunteer willingly. Mages don't generally elect to become Tranquil after their Harrowing, but it's not impossible. The Rite involves the use of a magical brand made of lyrium. As a result the Tranquil have the seal of the Chantry's sunburst engraved on their foreheads. State of Tranquility In the mind of the Tranquil, there is no passion. They keep to themselves, and, if asked directly, will readily agree that having the opportunity to live out a peaceful and useful existence is far preferable when compared to what their alternatives would have been. The Tranquil are stripped of their capacity to form anything other than a logical opinion.Gaider, David. "Was Anders Justified (No Pun intended)". Bioware Social Network. Retrieved March 24, 2012. However, they neither lose their memory nor become automotons: they possess free will. They do not wish to die and are no more susceptible to suggestion than they were previously. They're more agreeable and would not normally oppose an authority figure, but if the Tranquil saw a logical reason not to follow an order, they would do so. Tranquil can be creative - insofar as a very logical scientist might be. They pursue a means to an end, and are capable of coming up with alternate solutions to problems. They are, however, methodical to a fault. They are not taken by inspiration, and some might say what they lack is intuition. The fact that they do not get bored and take no pleasure out of creating takes much of the impetus away for them to change what they do. Tranquil in the society The Tranquil are no longer considered to be mages and are free to leave the Circle. Most remain, primarily because it's logical: they're not welcome elsewhere, and can serve in a productive capacity in the Circle and live comfortably. It is not unknown for the Tranquil not to stay, but such cases are rare. The Tranquil use lyrium to enchant items, providing the Circle its main source of funding. They have no innate resistance to its effects, but they possess a level of concentration far beyond a normal person's and thus are less likely to make a mistake while handling it. Reversing the Rite It is revealed that proximity to a mage bonded with a Fade spirit can temporarily restore a Tranquil to their former self. In contrast to the content and peaceful outlook of the Tranquil, the restored individual described it as a horrific experience in comparison. Justinia V, who became the Divine in 9:34 Dragon, asked to investigate the nature of the Rite as she admitted that it was not completely understood. The Divine wanted to know if the process of removing magic could be done without the other side effects, and if it could be reversed. The elven Tranquil Pharamond was then sent to the Adamant fortress to conduct a research on the Rite. He discovered a way to reverse the effects of the Rite of Tranquility, with the side effect of the mage becoming very emotional. According to Pharamond, if a spirit or demon were to reach across the Veil and touch a Tranquil's mind, it would be cured. Contrary to popular belief, the Tranquil are not immune to becoming abominations. Tranquil become invisible to spirits and demons in the Fade. They are also undesirable for possession since a demon looks to possess a man because it wishes to experience life. To them a Tranquil is no better than an inanimate object or worse, since a Tranquil will resist. Thus in order for a demon or spirit to touch the mind of a Tranquil, it must be lured out of the Fade and summoned into the mortal realm; and then lured into possessing the Tranquil. Notable Tranquil * Pharamond * Owain * Karl * Eiton, who was born Tranquil Trivia * The Rite of Tranquility is similar, in results, to the real world practice of lobotomy. Lobotomies are used to permanently "tranquilize" mental patients who are considered a severe risk to themselves or others by severing their prefrontal cortex, eliminating their personality, emotions, dreams, and ambitions. Similar to the Rite of Tranquility, the lobotomy is infamous for being abused and remains highly controversial to this day. * The Tranquil in Dragon Age: Origins were supposed to bear the sunburst, but the developers were not able to put it in. See also References Category:Tranquil